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Can You Copy Yourself? Self-Plagiarism and How to Avoid It

4-minute read

• 27th December 2019

Plagiarism – copying someone else’s work or words without crediting them – is bad. We know this. It’s dishonest. It’s unfair. And it can lose you marks on your college work . But what about self-plagiarism? Is this a problem? And how can you “copy” yourself anyway? Let’s take a look.

What Is Self-Plagiarism?

At its most basic, “self-plagiarism” means using the same work in two places. Often, it also means presenting old work as if it were new.

For instance, imagine a journalist submitted two versions of the same piece to separate publications. They could change the title and rearrange things slightly to make it less obvious, but the overall content is very similar. This is known as duplicate publication and breaks rules against self-plagiarism.

We can imagine something similar happening with a student’s work. Say, for example, you were writing your dissertation on a topic you’d already touched on in a previous essay. You might be tempted to copy that part of the essay and reuse it in your dissertation. But if you did this, you could be accused of submitting the same work twice, which is self-plagiarism.

The key in both cases is that a writer is presenting old work as if it were new. You may not mean to deceive anyone. But unless you acknowledge that you’re using the same material in two places, it could be interpreted as self-plagiarism. And this could lose you marks on your work.

Is It a Problem?

Short answer: Yes! Most colleges have rules against self-plagiarism. And if you’re found to have submitted the same work twice, you may lose out on valuable marks. In addition, anti-plagiarism tools like Turnitin “remember” everything they scan. As a result, if you submit a paper that reuses part or parts of an old essay, it could get flagged as plagiarism by a computer.

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For published writing, the issue also strays into copyright. For instance, if you have already published the results of an experiment in one journal but you try to submit a similar paper to another journal, you may be violating the copyright of the first journal (even though it is your own work).

And if a journal or publisher spots self-plagiarism, it will at best delay publication. As such, you should never deliberately reuse material without checking whether you are allowed to do so first.

How to Avoid Self-Plagiarism

It is easy enough to avoid self-plagiarism if you follow a few simple rules:

• Check your college’s website for guidance on self-plagiarism. You can also check your style guide for advice on citing previous work.
• Never copy and paste text from a previous essay into a new one. If you need to go over the same ideas, find a new way to express them.
• If you reuse ideas from a previous essay, acknowledge them (e.g., add a footnote “citing” your previous essay, even if it is not a formal citation).
• Ask your supervisor or course tutor if you are unsure regarding whether you can reuse something from a previous essay.
• If you want to publish part of your dissertation or thesis, make sure both your university and the journal you are submitting you will allow this.
• If you have published research somewhere, check who owns the copyright before submitting a similar paper elsewhere. And if you do refer to work you’ve published elsewhere, make sure to cite it clearly.

And if you are working on an essay, don’t forget to have it proofread . Our expert editors can even check that your referencing is clear and consistent, helping you to avoid any accusations of plagiarism.

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• What Is Self-Plagiarism? | Definition & How to Avoid It

What Is Self-Plagiarism? | Definition & How to Avoid It

Published on 9 December 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on 26 July 2022.

Plagiarism often involves using someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation , but you can also plagiarise yourself. Self-plagiarism means reusing work that you have already published or submitted for a class. It can involve:

• Resubmitting an entire paper
• Copying or paraphrasing passages from your previous work
• Recycling previously collected data
• Separately publishing multiple articles about the same research

Self-plagiarism misleads your readers by presenting previous work as completely new and original. If you want to include any text, ideas, or data that you already submitted in a previous assignment, be sure to inform your readers by citing yourself .

Table of contents

Examples of self-plagiarism, why is self-plagiarism wrong, how to cite yourself, how do educational institutions detect self-plagiarism, frequently asked questions about plagiarism.

You may be committing self-plagiarism if you:

• Submit an assignment from a previous academic year to a current class
• Recycle parts of an old assignment without citing it (e.g., copy-pasting sections or paragraphs from previously submitted work)
• Use a dataset from a previous study (published or not) without letting your reader know
• Submit a manuscript for publication containing data, conclusions, or passages that have already been published without citing your previous publication
• Publish multiple similar papers about the same study in different journals

Examples: Self-plagiarism

• Reusing text from previous papers
• Simultaneous submission
• Recycling data

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

While self-plagiarism may not be considered as serious as plagiarising someone else’s work, it’s still a form of academic dishonesty and can have the same consequences as other forms of plagiarism. Self-plagiarism:

• Shows a lack of interest in producing new work
• Can involve copyright infringement if you reuse published work
• Means you’re not making a new and original contribution to knowledge
• Undermines academic integrity, as you’re misrepresenting your research

It can still be legitimate to reuse your previous work in some contexts, but you need to acknowledge you’re doing so by citing yourself.

It can be legitimate to reuse pieces of your previous work, but you need to ensure you have explicit permission from your instructor before doing so, and you must cite yourself .

You can cite yourself just like you would cite any other source. The examples below show how you could cite your own unpublished thesis or dissertation in various styles.

Example: Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation

• Chicago style

In addition to plagiarism software databases, many educational institutions keep databases of submitted assignments. Sometimes, they even have access to databases at other institutions. If you hand in even a portion of an old assignment a second time, the plagiarism software will flag it as self-plagiarism.

Online plagiarism checkers not affiliated with a university don’t have access to the internal databases of educational institutions, and therefore their software cannot check your document for self-plagiarism.

In addition to our Plagiarism Checker, Scribbr also offers a Self-Plagiarism Checker . This unique tool allows you to upload your own original sources and compare them with your new assignment. It will flag any unintentional self-plagiarism, in addition to other forms of plagiarism, and helps ensure that you add the correct citations before submitting your assignment.

Scribbr’s Self-Plagiarism Checker

Online plagiarism scanners do not have access to internal university databases, and therefore cannot check your document for self-plagiarism.

Using Scribbr’s Self-Plagiarism Checker , you can upload your previous work and compare it to your current document:

• Your thesis or dissertation
• Your papers or essays
• Any other published or unpublished documents

The checker will scan the texts for similarities and flag any passages where you might have self-plagiarised.

Yes, reusing your own work without citation is considered self-plagiarism . This can range from resubmitting an entire assignment to reusing passages or data from something you’ve handed in previously.

Self-plagiarism often has the same consequences as other types of plagiarism . If you want to reuse content you wrote in the past, make sure to check your university’s policy or consult your professor.

If you are reusing content or data you used in a previous assignment, make sure to cite yourself. You can cite yourself the same way you would cite any other source: simply follow the directions for the citation style you are using.

Keep in mind that reusing prior content can be considered self-plagiarism , so make sure you ask your instructor or consult your university’s handbook prior to doing so.

Most institutions have an internal database of previously submitted student assignments. Turnitin can check for self-plagiarism by comparing your paper against this database. If you’ve reused parts of an assignment you already submitted, it will flag any similarities as potential plagiarism.

Online plagiarism checkers don’t have access to your institution’s database, so they can’t detect self-plagiarism of unpublished work. If you’re worried about accidentally self-plagiarising, you can use Scribbr’s Self-Plagiarism Checker to upload your unpublished documents and check them for similarities.

The consequences of plagiarism vary depending on the type of plagiarism and the context in which it occurs. For example, submitting a whole paper by someone else will have the most severe consequences, while accidental citation errors are considered less serious.

If you’re a student, then you might fail the course, be suspended or expelled, or be obligated to attend a workshop on plagiarism. It depends on whether it’s your first offence or you’ve done it before.

As an academic or professional, plagiarising seriously damages your reputation. You might also lose your research funding or your job, and you could even face legal consequences for copyright infringement.

Most online plagiarism checkers only have access to public databases, whose software doesn’t allow you to compare two documents for plagiarism.

However, in addition to our Plagiarism Checker , Scribbr also offers an Self-Plagiarism Checker . This is an add-on tool that lets you compare your paper with unpublished or private documents. This way you can rest assured that you haven’t unintentionally plagiarised or self-plagiarised .

Compare two sources for plagiarism

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2022, July 26). What Is Self-Plagiarism? | Definition & How to Avoid It. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/preventing-plagiarism/self-plagiarism/

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Self-Plagiarism: How to Define It and Why You Should Avoid It

What is self-plagiarism, and why is self-plagiarism wrong? Understand the ethical (and practical) reasons to avoid this behavior in your research writing.

Updated on February 21, 2024

In the process of publishing, each new paper builds on previous work. However, it's important to note that rules about quoting and citing previous work (to avoid plagiarism ) apply equally to one's own writing. The concept of self-plagiarism can lead to many questions , but here is a definition and three reasons to avoid it in your research papers.

What is self-plagiarism?

Self-plagiarism is commonly described as recycling or reusing one's own specific words from previously published texts. While it doesn't cross the line of true theft of others' ideas, it nonetheless can create issues in the scholarly publishing world. Beyond verbatim sections of text, self-plagiarism can also refer to the publication of identical papers in two places (sometimes called "duplicate publication"). Moreover, it is best practice to cite your previous work thoroughly, even if you are simply revisiting an old idea or a previously published observation.

In short, self-plagiarism is any attempt to take any of your own previously published text, papers, or research results and make it appear brand new.

"Self-plagiarism is not usually an accident so much as a misunderstanding of journal copyrights," says Kim Yasutis, Ph.d. "Authors, particularly in certain fields and certain cultures, tend to think of text they have written as theirs in perpetuity. However, once they publish in a journal, they have almost always transferred copyright to another journal. At such a time, that text is no longer theirs from a right to publish perspective. So while authors might not think there’s anything ethically wrong with using “their own” text, a journal puts itself in legal jeopardy if it publishes text that another journal owns the copyright to."

Why is self-plagiarism wrong?

Although some forms of self-plagiarism may seem harmless, the rationale for avoiding this practice is threefold, ranging from the philosophical to the practical:

1. The fundamental role of research papers

The broadest reason to avoid self-plagiarism deals with the integrity of the research record, and of scientific discovery as a whole. It is widely understood that each published manuscript will include new knowledge and results that advance our understanding of the world. When your manuscript contains uncited recycled information, you are countering the unspoken assumption that you are presenting entirely new discoveries.

"Salami slicing" data, reusing old material to publish again, and duplicate publication erode your standing in your field and also the public's trust in research and science more broadly.

2. Publisher copyright - your own words may not belong to you

It is important to note that the standard process of publication in many journals includes ceding copyright of the finished paper to the publisher. While you are still the intellectual owner of the ideas and results, the publication is property of the journal. As such, reuse of that material without citation and/or permission is not acceptable. While this is counterintuitive, in the eyes of the law, reusing your own words is copyright infringement, even if you wrote them.

Open access journals commonly use Creative Commons licenses allowing for reuse with attribution. In these cases, reuse of your own words is acceptable, but it is always necessary to cite the original publication.

3. Journals will catch it and your publication process will be delayed or blocked

The vast majority of scholarly journals use software like iThenticate® to screen for plagiarized work upon submission. If you have copied text from a previously published paper, it will be flagged during this process. Even if you are not rejected for the issue, it will cause a delay as the editor asks you questions and you rewrite or otherwise more clearly identify reused material.

The most practical reason to avoid self-plagiarism is actually the most common reason it occurs in the first place: to save you time while trying to get published.

How to avoid self-plagiarism

Luckily, self-plagiarism can be easily avoided. Instead of repeating what you've already stated in another manuscript, just reference your previous work.

"Mostly avoiding self plagiarism can be done by referencing previous papers rather than recycling text (most commonly in sciences in the methods section)," says Yasutis. "Second tip is simply to open an entirely new document when writing each paper, rather than starting from a previous draft of something else"

At AJE, we know ethical reporting of new results is fundamental to the advancement of knowledge. Please contact us with any questions.

Ben Mudrak, PhD

Kimberly Yasutis, PhD

Research Communication Partner II

See our "Privacy Policy"

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What is Global Plagiarism

What is accidental plagiarism, what is self-plagiarism.

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In academia, integrity and originality are highly valued. Plagiarism, the act of using someone else’s work or ideas without proper attribution, is universally condemned. However, there’s another aspect of plagiarism that often goes unnoticed but is equally detrimental: self-plagiarism. In this article, we will delve into the definition of self-plagiarism, explore its consequences, and discuss ways to avoid it.

Defining Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism, as the term suggests, involves reusing one’s own previously submitted work or published content without proper citation or acknowledgment . It may not be as widely discussed as traditional plagiarism, where someone copies another person’s work, but it’s a form of academic misconduct with its own set of implications.

Types and Examples of Self-Plagiarism

Self-plagiarism can manifest in various forms, and it’s essential to recognize them to avoid unintentional misconduct. One common form of self-plagiarism is resubmitting an entire paper for a different class or purpose without disclosing its prior use. This behavior can deceive instructors and readers, making them believe the work is entirely new and original.

Another form of self-plagiarism involves copying or paraphrasing passages from your previous work without proper citation. Even if you’re rephrasing your own ideas, failing to acknowledge their origin is considered self-plagiarism. So, the question of is paraphrasing plagiarism in this case will have a clear yes.

Recycling previously collected data without disclosure is yet another example of self-plagiarism. Reusing data from a previous study, whether it’s been published or not, can mislead readers and compromise research integrity. Publishing multiple articles about the same research without indicating their interrelation is another instance of self-plagiarism. It can dilute the novelty of your contributions and misrepresent your work.

Consequences of Self-Plagiarism

The consequences of self-plagiarism should not be underestimated. Although it may not always be regarded as severely as traditional plagiarism, it can have significant implications for both your academic and professional reputation.

Engaging in self-plagiarism reflects poorly on your academic integrity. It suggests a lack of commitment to producing original work and contributing fresh ideas to your field. This can tarnish your credibility and reputation among peers and mentors.

Furthermore, reusing previously published work without proper citation can potentially lead to copyright infringement issues, especially if you have granted exclusive rights to a publisher. Legal complications can arise from such actions, adding a layer of complexity to your academic journey.

Moreover, self-plagiarism can diminish the value of your academic contributions by misrepresenting the extent of your original research. Readers may be misled into thinking that your work is entirely new, which can result in inaccurate assessments of its novelty and significance.

In essence, self-plagiarism not only undermines your academic integrity but also carries legal and reputational risks, ultimately affecting your scholarly pursuits and professional standing.

How to Avoid Self-Plagiarism in Academic Papers?

Preventing self-plagiarism plays a pivotal role in safeguarding your academic credibility and upholding the fundamental principles of academic integrity. Below are essential practices to incorporate into your scholarly endeavors:

• Cite Yourself : When reusing your prior work, treat it as you would any external source. Employ proper self-citation, offering explicit references to the original work. This straightforward step guarantees that you acknowledge your past contributions appropriately, reinforcing the integrity of your research.
• Seek Permission : Should you intend to incorporate substantial portions of your previous work, proactively request permission from your instructor or publisher. This proactive approach ensures alignment with academic guidelines and copyright regulations, mitigating any concerns related to self-plagiarism.
• Create Original Content : Whenever feasible, prioritize the development of fresh, original content for each new assignment or publication. You can also use a free plagiarism checker tool . Although this may require additional effort, it remains the most authentic way to contribute to your academic field while sidestepping potential self-plagiarism pitfalls.
• Keep Detailed Records : Maintain meticulous records of your prior work, encompassing research notes, drafts, and publications. This meticulous record-keeping aids in monitoring the utilization of your own material and ensures accurate citation practices.
• Familiarize Yourself with Institutional Policies : Different academic institutions may enforce distinct self-plagiarism policies. Therefore, it is imperative to acquaint yourself with your institution’s specific guidelines to guarantee adherence and compliance with their requirements. This knowledge safeguards your academic reputation and ensures that your work aligns with institutional standards.

Self-plagiarism is a topic that deserves attention. Understanding what self-plagiarism is and how to avoid it is essential for every scholar and researcher. Following the principles of honesty and transparency in your academic work, you can contribute to the advancement of knowledge while maintaining your reputation as an ethical and responsible scholar.

Why is self-plagiarism considered unethical?

Self-plagiarism is deemed unethical because it misrepresents the originality of your work. It violates academic integrity by reusing your own content without proper citation, potentially misleading others and undermining trust in scholarly contributions.

Can you plagiarize your own work?

Yes, you can accidentally plagiarize your own work if you reuse it without appropriate citation. Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s or your own work as if it were new and original, which is considered unethical in academia.

Is self-plagiarism a serious academic offense?

While it may not carry the same gravity as traditional plagiarism, self-plagiarism is still regarded as a serious academic offense. It undermines academic integrity, misrepresents research contributions, and can result in consequences such as loss of credibility and academic sanctions.

How do educational institutions detect self-plagiarism?

Educational institutions employ various methods to detect self-plagiarism, including plagiarism detection software, internal databases of submitted assignments, and cross-referencing with external sources. If you submit your own previous work without proper citation, these systems can flag it as self-plagiarism.

When do I need to cite myself to avoid self-plagiarism?

You should cite yourself whenever you reuse substantial portions of your previous work in a new context, whether it’s for a different assignment, publication, or audience. Proper self-citation ensures transparency and avoids the pitfalls of self-plagiarism.

Is self-plagiarism wrong even if it’s unintentional?

Yes, self-plagiarism is still considered wrong even if it’s unintentional. Academic integrity requires scholars to be vigilant in avoiding any form of plagiarism, including self-plagiarism. Unintentional self-plagiarism may result from oversight, but it remains a breach of ethical standards in academia.

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What Is Self-Plagiarism? And How Can You Avoid It?

Self-plagiarism is the same as regular plagiarism, however, the person whose content you are plagiarizing is you! Plagiarism is seen as theft, where you steal others’ intellectual/ creative/ academic property without giving them due credit. Self-plagiarism happens when you recycle or reuse parts of text from a paper you had submitted or published already.  While the question of using someone else’s original idea and claiming it as your own is what defines regular plagiarism, in self-plagiarism the lines are somewhat blurry. This is because here, the original idea was also your own and you are not claiming anyone else’s work without credit.. You are, however, borrowing without giving the original author, i.e. yourself, due credit.

What does self-plagiarism include? 

Self-plagiarism (also called auto-plagiarism) can be committed in many ways, including:

Submitting a manuscript for publication in a journal, which contains data and verbatim text passages taken from a work that has already been published, without citing your previous work

Submitting an assignment written by you for a different academic year for a class in your present one

Reusing parts of an old assignment verbatim without proper citations (e.g., copy-pasting paragraphs from previously submitted work)

Using a dataset from another study

Submitting a manuscript for publication that contains pre-published data without citation of your previous publication

Publishing multiple similar papers about the same study in different journals

Self-plagiarism: Unethical or illegal?

Since you are not stealing or copying from someone else, it may seem like self-plagiarizing is not a serious offense. While it is not exactly illegal to self-plagiarize, it is certainly unethical. That is because, even though it is your original idea, you are passing off an old idea as new. Also, if someone is conducting institutionalized academic research, self-plagiarism can be a serious issue, because your institution provides funds and other resources like laboratory or library access for "original research," and not recycling old ones. Also, it is a misrepresentation of the time when you conceived the idea. Additionally, it can result in a copyright breach if the same content is published as an original research article by different journals. Therefore, one might say that unlike other categories of plagiarism, self-plagiarism is not illegal. However, it is unethical to republish content without appropriate citations, irrespective of the fact that you are the original ideator. 

How can you avoid self-plagiarism?

Understand what plagiarism is

The first step to avoiding plagiarism is to understand what constitutes plagiarism. For example, you may not even be mindful of the fact that paraphrasing an idea without giving due credit is a form of plagiarism. Even incorrectly or insufficiently appropriating a work (whether someone else’s or your own) is considered plagiarism. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to be clear on what exactly plagiarism constitutes so that you will be able to organically check yourself if you are straying toward plagiarism while writing your manuscript or any other kind of textual content which requires original ideation

Organization and planning

Plan your paper and the topic you will be writing on, well in advance. Procrastination can sometimes lead you to be dangerously close to a submission deadline, at which point recycling a previously written paper feels like an easy way out. Even if you are writing different papers, if the topics are quite similar, it can lead to self-plagiarism. Therefore, you should carefully plan your writing and research schedules, to avoid writing on the same topic. Also, it is always a good practice to keep detailed notes and to keep revisiting your previously written and published/ submitted papers to ensure there is no accidental plagiarism happening.

Refer to your previously published/ submitted articles

There are multiple ways in which this can be done, for example:

Re-using your text can be acceptable in some cases, as long as there is some transparency and you let your reader know that the text you are using has been previously published/ submitted. You can do this by adding a formal statement in the manuscript declaring that some parts of the text are taken from another one of your works.

You can use the technique of putting quotation marks around text that you might have taken from your other work. You also need to state that you are the author of the said quote and also mention the date of its first appearance.

You may use a lead-in when introducing an idea you have used previously that identifies your original work when summarizing or paraphrasing. This is a great way of making your audience aware of which parts of your manuscript are borrowed from your previous work. Often, your lead-in is merely a dependent clause before your main statement. However, you can also include a sentence-long lead-in, if needed. For example: In my paper titled, “…” I reviewed the difference between apples and oranges in the following manner:

The best way to avoid self-plagiarism is to treat it like you would treat references from any other source in your paper, i.e., with proper citation formatted according to the pertinent writing style. Whether you quote from or paraphrase/ summarize from a source that was previously written by you, ensure that it has been correctly cited. Cite your work in the appropriate format like APA, MLA, CMOS, etc. with your name, page numbers, date of publication, etc. just like you would do for any other citation.

If your paper has been published in a journal or a website, the publishers may hold copyrights to your article. You will need to ask their permission to reuse ideas from that piece. Otherwise, there could be an infringement of copyright.

Use a plagiarism detection tool like Enago’s plagiarism checker powered by Turnitin

There are quite a few plagiarism checker tools available online from basic ones to those powered with sophisticated AI-based technology. Enago’s Plagiarism and AI Grammar Checker is a globally top-ranked plagiarism checker that follows a double-pronged approach to help students, scholars, faculty, and other academic organizations eliminate plagiarism and grammar errors in one go. We have partnered with the world’s leading plagiarism detection service provider Turnitin, whose expansive database and algorithms are used by 1700+ top publishers and peer reviewers (including Elsevier, Wiley, Sage, Taylor & Francis, and Springer). Also, keeping in mind our student-friendly policy, our plagiarism checker services start from $12  only, while other tools can quote upward of hundreds of dollars.  Enago’s Plagiarism and AI Grammar Checker can be used to process a wide variety of scholarly works, including student college assignments, student theses, technical reports, preprint articles, conference articles, and research papers.  You can also upgrade your experience of using our Plagiarism and AI Grammar Checker service by opting for Advanced Checks, i.e., our “Scholarly Articles Check” option starting at $19, which compares your article against an additional 82+ million paid published scholarly articles. We also have the option for a “Power Editing” add-on coming soon, starting at an additional $6 over the basic package in which you can get up to 40% more suggestions for the same content. This service is developed using an exceptionally sophisticated AI engine that delivers 92% accuracy while maintaining—and in some cases, enhancing—the quality and integrity of your research writing. Try Enago's Plagiarism Checker & Auto Grammar Check NOW!  

Personal Statement Plagiarism: Avoid It In 5 Simple Steps

Plagiarism in personal statements isn’t common, but being accused of it is often a worry for applicants.

When readers detect plagiarism, it is likely that it will detrimentally affect the application, with rejection being a very real outcome .

With so much depending on a successful application, how can you avoid being accused of plagiarism in your personal statement?

Personal statement plagiarism can be avoided if you focus on writing original content and you acknowledge your sources and quotations throughout. By doing your own research, relating personal experiences to your application and writing your own statement, you will create original, unique content.

I’ve broken down the details of each of these elements below. They’ll give you a fuller understanding of how to avoid being accused of deliberate deception in your personal statement.

If you’re concerned about falling foul of the UCAS plagiarism checker, you can download the UCAS guidelines on fraud and content verification, along with other relevant documentation here .

Do not use Content Created by Other People

As you begin writing your personal statement, the chances are that you will be presented with a range of pre-existing examples, ‘model’ responses and extracts all designed to help you understand the kind of style and content you are aiming for.

There are numerous examples of model personal statement examples here .

When you have immediate access to a range of well-written content, the danger is that sometimes it seems better than anything you believe you can create for yourself.

This is where some applicants can be tempted to copy and paste unoriginal content into their personal statements.

Aside from the fact that this will almost certainly result in a weaker personal statement, as it doesn’t genuinely reflect your experiences and ambitions, there is a high chance that including already published material will flag your work to an online plagiarism checker.

It is also worth bearing in mind that if you are given unpublished examples of effective personal statement content at school or college, the chances are that previous applicants may have used similar content, and that your peers might use it too.

Levels of similar content from as little as 10% have flagged ucas plagarism software in the past, so writing content from scratch is the only way to be certain of creating an original personal statement that won’t flag any alarms.

If you want to search for a range of resources to help you develop your academic writing, check out the deals on these writing guides .

Acknowledge Your References and Quotes Throughout

Using quotations in your personal statement can be a highly effective way to convey authority, research and depth of knowledge. You can learn more about exactly the right ways to use quotes in personal statements in this post .

However, when it comes to beating a plagiarism checker, it is important that you make sure you acknowledge quotes or references that aren’t your own words.

Look at the quote below. It might be similar to something you have read in an industry publication or heard in a lecture. Let’s imagine that it encapsulates the way you feel about Economics as a field of study, and you think it would be a valuable piece of content for your personal statement.

Having a command of both programming and systems analysis is crucial when in pursuit of a higher level of understanding of international commerce. Sandra MacKenzie, Senior Investment Partner at Hoff Finance

A suitable way to incorporate this into your personal statement without plagiarising the content would be as follows:

A similar passage, but one which would be an example of plagiarism, might look like this:

Relate Personal Experiences to Your Application

Another important way to avoid trouble with a personal statement plagiarism checker is to make sure that you write from your own personal perspective. It is vital to link each point you make with clear, valid examples that illustrate to the reader that you are a unique applicant.

If you use pre-written formats or templates, or use generic phrases and examples, the chances are that your content will not only fail to help you stand out, but will match the content written by other applicants.

Admissions teams look for evidence of original perspectives and ambitions, and the more you can evidence the connections between your personal experiences, your skills and the specific demands of the course, the stronger your personal statement will be.

Equally, there is no chance of it containing content plagiarised from another source. This post shows you exactly how to come up with an original, compelling set of unique ideas for your personal statement .

Take Time to Write Your Personal Statement Yourself

There are two key elements here. Firstly, you should make sure that you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to research and write your personal statement.

One reasons that applicants become tempted to use generic or plagiarised content is due to time pressure; a deadline looms, and in a panic, they mix their own content with a version they have found online. Inevitably, this will lead to charges of deception and unoriginality, and there is a high chance that your application will be rejected.

By facing the challenge positively, and following the advice here , you’ll avoid falling into this trap.

Getting someone else to write your personal statement for you is unethical. It’s a bit like copying someone else’s essays and handing it in with your name at the top. Lucy Parsons, Life More Extraordinary

The quote above, from Lucy Parsons , clearly justifies the requirement to write your own personal statement. Partly because to not do so is unethical and potentially fraudulent, but also because writing the personal statement successfully is a key indicator to a university (and to the applicant) that they are well suited to the demands of the course.

If you persuade or pay someone else to write it for you, you are unlikely to know whether that person is themselves committing an act of plagiarism. You might find that they have copied the content they send you from a previous application, and your application might be rejected on that basis.

Working alongside a reputable expert, and making use of the support services provided on this site can be valuable, because the aim is to get the best out of the applicant through guidance, advice and collaboration. Asking someone else to write your personal statement from scratch certainly ticks the plagiarism boxes.

Structure Your Story Clearly and Don’t Write Lists

Order your content in a way that seems appropriate to you, that takes the reader logically through your motivations, experiences and ambitions, and develops compelling arguments in a way that promotes your application. You can find out more about how to structure the paragraphs in your personal statement here .

Creating an original structure will help you avoid plagiarism as the form and content will all speak with your own original voice.

Quite a lot of plagiarised content available online and in hardcopy has been created to meet a range of imagined ‘tick boxes’ of the kind of content that is assumed to be required. As such, it can often read like a list of accomplishments, skills or opinions, without offering any personal connections or a sense of logical development.

To avoid writing in this way, use a wide range of sentence starters , content and ideas to keep your personal statement original and effective.

Good luck with your personal statement, and don’t forget to contact me if you’d like some 1-1 support.

You’ve got this! D

Research and content verified by Personal Statement Planet.

David Hallen

I've worked in the Further Education and University Admissions sector for nearly 20 years as a teacher, department head, Head of Sixth Form, UCAS Admissions Advisor, UK Centre Lead and freelance personal statement advisor, editor and writer. And now I'm here for you...

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How to Cite Yourself

• Posted on December 22, 2021 December 22, 2021

You already know that it’s unethical and, in some cases, illegal to use another person’s work without giving them credit. Plagiarism is intellectual theft, whether you’re a professional writer or a student. But did you also know that it’s possible to plagiarize yourself?

Like other forms of plagiarism,  self-plagiarism  can cause severe problems for you professionally and academically if you’re not careful. Here’s everything you need to know about citing yourself so you can avoid unintentionally plagiarizing yourself.

Why Self-Citations Are Important

There are several reasons why it’s essential to self-cite when referencing your prior work. If that previous work is published, for example, then quoting from it without proper citation could be a violation of your publishing agreement.

Even if your work is unpublished, it’s inappropriate to reuse prior work without proper citation and identification. If you’re a student, reusing work from a previous assignment without doing any new work deprives you of the learning opportunity, and it may also be a violation of your high school or college’s academic integrity policy.

There’s not much difference between citing your work and citing someone else’s work in most style guides. As a general rule, you cite your previous work in the same way you cite a similar work by another author.

Let’s say you wrote and published a novel. Under most style guides, if you wanted to quote or reference a novel you wrote, you would cite it in the same format as you would cite a novel by anyone else. Likewise, if you wanted to reference a research paper you wrote, you would cite it using the same format as a research paper completed by someone else.

Published vs. Unpublished Work

Whether you’re a content creator getting paid for a piece of work or a student submitting a paper for high school or college credit, you must cite every piece you reference—including published, scholarly sources as well as unpublished works. This is true whether you’re citing your own work or someone else’s.

However, this issue comes up more often when it comes to your own work simply because you’re more likely to possess your own unpublished work than another person’s. However, the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide and the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Guide differ somewhat in handling citations to unpublished work.

How do you determine whether your work is published or unpublished? In most cases, it’s pretty straightforward. If your work has appeared in an anthology, journal, or otherwise been made public, it’s a published work. If it hasn’t appeared anywhere and is solely in your possession, then it’s an unpublished work.

Things get a little fuzzier when you consider the work that you’ve shared online. If you’ve posted it somewhere that it can be accessed by the general public, like an online forum, then it’s been informally published and should be cited as a website.

On the other hand, a private document that can only be accessed by people you authorize using a private link is generally considered unpublished. Unless a stranger could access it without your authorization, your own private work is unpublished.

Under the APA Style Guide, a published work is always cited the same way, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. If the work you are citing is published, cite it as you would a similar publication by another author, even if it’s your own.

However, if you cite your unpublished work, the APA citation style requires you to specify that the work is unpublished. In addition, if you created the work for a particular purpose, you must state that purpose in the citation.

Published Research Paper  – Walter Wombat, a researcher, previously published a research paper in a wildlife journal. Now Walter wants to cite that study in a new paper. He will cite it in the same way as he would another researcher’s published study:

Last Name, First Name (Year of publication). Title of study. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page numbers. http://webaddress.com

Wombat, Walter (2018). Wombats in the wild: a study. Wildlife Journal, 47(3), 48-63. http://wombatstudies.org

Unpublished Assignment – Walter also wants to cite a previous assignment from his graduate school coursework in the new research study. Under the APA Style Guide, to cite to an unpublished student assignment, Walter must also identify that the study is unpublished, as well as its purpose:

Last Name, First Name (Year authored). Title of study [Unpublished study submitted for course]. University Name.

Wombat, Walter (2020). Wombat teeth grow forever [Unpublished study submitted for Biology 1001]. Marsupial University.

If Walter also cited other sources in his unpublished study, then he must also cite those sources in the reference list of his new work.

Other examples – Citation styles for different types of sources can be found in the complete  7th edition APA Style Guide  at the Purdue OWL website.

As the APA Style Guide, the rules for citing your own published work are the same as citing someone else’s under the MLA Style Guide. A published work is cited the same way, whether you’re self-citing or citing someone else’s work.

The MLA Style Guide doesn’t explicitly require you to identify an unpublished manuscript or unpublished paper in the reference list. However, you still must identify the origin of an unpublished document, such as the collection where it’s housed or the reason for its creation.

There are plenty of unpublished documents available in public and private museums and personal collections around the world. Your unpublished work is most likely either from your personal collection or submitted for a high school or university assignment.

Published Research Paper  – Walter Wombat is writing an article for a popular science magazine and wants to reference a study he published previously in a peer-reviewed science journal. He will cite it in the same way as if he were citing another person’s published study:

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, Volume, Issue, Year, pages.

Wombat, Walter. “Wombats in the Wild.” Wildlife Journal, 47, 3, 2018, 48-63.

Unpublished Assignment – Suzie Scholar is writing a reflective piece on her growth as a writer for a college assignment. In it, she wants to reference a piece she wrote for an assignment in high school. While she doesn’t have to specify that the piece is unpublished, Suzie does have to identify its source:

Last Name, First Name. “Paper Title.” Date authored. Class, School, assignment type.

Scholar, Suzie. “My Final Paper.” 1 May 2010. 12th Grade English, Wisdom High School, student paper.

Other Examples – You can find citation formats for different types of sources in the complete MLA Style Guide  at the Purdue OWL website.

Avoiding Self-Plagiarism

To avoid self-plagiarism under any style guide, you must cite all of your sources using in-text citations and a list of works cited. This is true whether you’re citing your own work or someone else’s.

One way to ensure that you’re not accidentally committing self-plagiarism or any other kind of plagiarism is to use a plagiarism checker like Quetext. If you’ve unintentionally quoted or paraphrased from a source without citing it, a good plagiarism checker will flag it for you so you can cite it appropriately.

Quetext’s plagiarism checker takes this one step further by automatically generating the appropriate citation for you, making it easy to avoid unintentional plagiarism.

Sign Up for Quetext Today!

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Self-Plagiarism in Research: What it is and How to Avoid It

Self-plagiarism in research should be strictly avoided. Yet, it’s quite common to find early career researchers, and sometimes even experienced scholars, who do not know what this constitutes. Simply put, self-plagiarism, also known as text recycling or duplicate publication, is when a researcher reuses parts of their previously published work without providing proper citations.

Some researchers see no wrong in reusing their own work, given that they are the original authors. On the other hand, early career researchers struggling with the pressure to publish may be tempted to take short-cuts by recycling their own work rather than developing original new ideas. Whatever the reason, self-plagiarism in research is viewed as a form of academic misconduct that can delay publication, invite legal action, impact academic credibility, and sometimes even lead to loss of funding. It’s critical to remember that when reusing anything in your academic writing that has already been published, you need to seek permission from the original publishers.

This article seeks to explain what self-plagiarism in research means, examines some self-plagiarism examples, and offers some practical advice on how to avoid self-plagiarism.

Table of Contents

Check your paper for similarity now. try paperpal’s plagiarism checker., types of self-plagiarism.

• Let us help you deliver your best, original work – try Paperpal’s Plagiarism Checker today.  

What is self-plagiarism in research?

Self-plagiarism refers to reusing parts of your own previously published articles and papers without properly citing it in your new work. Like plagiarism in research, self-plagiarism misleads the audience by presenting previously published work as new and original. This academic dishonesty undermines your credibility as a researcher as it indicates that you are not interested in your work and are not actively contributing to your chosen field of research.

It is critical to cite your own work, just as you would anyone else’s. Some self-plagiarism examples include publishing multiple papers about the same research in different journals, passing off scientific data from older studies without indicating it has been used before, or even reusing pieces of text or information from previously published work without the proper citations. Any lapses, even if unintentional, can have serious negative consequences on your academic career.

Self-plagiarism can occur in different ways, some of the most common types of self-plagiarism in research are explained below.

Salami slicing: This happens when researchers break up their original research into smaller themes and articles to boost their publication record, instead of submitting their work as a single study. While this can increase the number of articles published by an author, it proves detrimental in the long run. Breaking up your original research can lead to misinterpretation of results and consequently, can reflect poorly on your work.

Copyright infringement: On publishing an article in a scholarly journal, the copyright for the work passes on to the publisher not the author who conducted the research or wrote the paper. Hence, reusing any section, data, text or figure in any form without appropriate citation or permission from the publisher is seen as copyright infringement and treated as an unethical research practice.

Duplicate submission: Some authors submit the same or similar articles based on the same research study to multiple journals at the same time to improve their chances of publication. This constitutes duplicate submission and is seen a form of self-plagiarism. This ethical misstep weighs on journal resources and wastes editors’ time, which can invite severe repercussions.

Lack of proper citation: The most common type of self-plagiarism in research is when an author uses his or her own published work, or a part of it, without properly citing the original article. This misleads readers into believing that the work being presented is new and original, which impacts academic integrity.

How to avoid self-plagiarism?

Trust and integrity are pre-requisites of scientific research and, therefore, it is important that researchers understand what plagiarism and especially self-plagiarism mean. Being aware of and avoiding plagiarism is crucial for those looking at building a credible career in academia.

The following are some basic strategies that will help you avoid unintentional self-plagiarism.

• It is important to closely follow each journal’s specific guidelines regarding publishing of work and be aware of the rules on listing citations and presenting work correctly.
• Make sure to cite the original published work while quoting, paraphrasing, or reusing any part of your earlier works. Check and follow the proper citation style for your target journal.
• Refrain from sending the same or similar articles on a particular topic or study to different journals at a time. The publication process may take longer than you’d like, but it’s worth it in the long run.
• Avoid breaking up your study into smaller fragments for publication. Where it is justifiable to present your study in separate articles, be sure to inform the journal editors in advance.
• Always ensure that your paper presents original content, information, and data. Keep in mind that the use of any of your prior work must be done only to complement your arguments – and always with the correct citations.
• Use a trusted plagiarism checker, like the one provided by Paperpal, to identify any accidental plagiarism. The Paperpal plagiarism checker scans your work against billions of webpages and delivers a detailed report, with a similarity score, side-by-side comparisons, and color-coded results to help you identify and address any instances of accidental or self-plagiarism.  

Researchers must take care to check and ensure they are not self-plagiarizing their content. Even when you are writing on a novel original topic, there may be instances of similarity with earlier published text, which is why a plagiarism check is recommended before you submit. We hope the advice and information provided above helps you understand and avoid any instances of self-plagiarism in research work. 

Let us help you deliver your best, original work – try Paperpal’s Plagiarism Checker today.

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing assistant that help academics write better, faster with real-time suggestions for in-depth language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of research manuscripts enhanced by professional academic editors, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.   

Try it for free or upgrade to  Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to premium features like plagiarism checks, academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing.  Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$19 a month!

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February 27th, 2019

Self-plagiarism: when is re-purposing text ethically justifiable.

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Self-plagiarism, or publishing substantially similar work twice, is frowned upon in academia as a way of gaining an unfair advantage in a competitive ‘publish or perish’ environment. However, the increasingly open and digital nature of academic publishing means that replication is now easier than ever before. In this  post, Mark Israel   explores the ethics of self-plagiarism and asks, when is it right to reproduce social research? He concludes with a checklist of 5 points to consider before re-producing previously published material and invites readers to provide their own examples of when it is justifiable to re-purpose previously published social research.

In an institutional environment where researchers may be coming under increasing pressure to publish, the temptations to take short cuts and engage in duplicate or redundant publication can be significant. Duplicate publication involves re-publishing substantially the same data, analysis, discussion and conclusion, without providing proper acknowledgement or justification for the practice. Such behaviour is often condemned as ideoplagiarism or self-plagiarism, locating this practice as a parallel activity to that which appropriates other people’s ideas and words and reproduces them without due acknowledgement.

There are good reasons for censuring self-plagiarism – it distorts the academic record where meta-analyses are not aware of the duplicate publication, and provides an unfair advantage when academics’ track records are being compared. In an earlier publication ( Israel, 2015 ), I detailed some examples of social scientists who engaged in self-plagiarism. However, I also argued that ‘It may be appropriate to publish similar articles in different journals in order to ask different research questions, link to different literatures or reach new and different audiences’ (p.163). I would like to explore some of the situations that I have encountered in the last few years where I believe re-use of text might not be inappropriate and, indeed, might actually be the ethical thing to do.

Global rankings and national assessments of universities are largely based on research inputs and outputs. Mostly, the output indicators privilege publications in international higher-ranking journals; the vast majority of those only publish in English. However, there are several good reasons why research outputs should also appear outside English-language journals. First, researchers may be funded by research councils from countries that are not Anglophone. Those research councils may indeed want to maximise their international impact by publishing in English. However, they may also recognise that they have an obligation to support researchers in their countries who are not fluent in English; indeed, they ought to be supporting the maintenance of their own languages and ensuring that scholarly discourse continues to be conducted in their native tongues. This is a policy supported by the National Committees for Research Ethics in Norway ( 2006 ), for example.

Second, researchers often have made a commitment to disseminate the results of their studies to participants or to policy-makers – where either of these communities are not English-speaking, republishing in a language other than English may be entirely appropriate.

So, revising a published paper and translating that into a language other than English might be a laudable way of preserving a research culture in a small language group, influencing policy-makers or returning a benefit to a low- or middle-income country (LMIC). This activity, of course, needs to be acknowledged and transparent and cannot be double-counted as a research output.

Following a roundtable discussion of social research ethics hosted by the University of Haifa, a chapter that I co-authored was recently translated into Hebrew and published in an Israeli journal. Gary Allen and I agreed to do this in order to encourage further discussion of human research ethics in Israel. The decision was taken with the approval of our original editors and publishers.

In 2018, I co-authored an article on research ethics in Taiwan with a Taiwanese academic (Gan and Israel, in press). This will be published in  Developing World Bioethics  and we shall explore the possibility of modifying it for a Mandarin version aimed specifically at a readership of Taiwanese academics and policy-makers. While many senior Taiwanese academics are fluent in English, this is less likely to be the case among those who have not completed postgraduate qualifications in North America, Australasia or the United Kingdom. Publishing in Mandarin would extend access to our work (including allowing it to be found in a search using Traditional Chinese script), and may make it more readily available for undergraduate teaching. Sometimes, we can craft opportunities to help readers of other languages without translating the entire article. A recent article that I co-authored with Lisa Wynn (Wynn & Israel, 2018 ) took advantage of the  American Anthropologist’s  policy of publishing all abstracts in both English and Spanish. At our request, the editors agreed to add abstracts in Arabic and French.

I wonder if fear of being seen as self-plagiarising, also inhibits academics writing book chapters in research ecosystems where chapters do not count for much. I have repeatedly been invited to write chapters that give an overview of social research ethics. Initially, I tended to say yes. However, it is difficult to continually deliver a novel angle for such a chapter, when the brief from the commissioning editor is so similar. I have collaborated with co-authors in order to develop new directions. However, sometimes this is not practicable and yet there may still be some value in repurposing existing text and tailoring it for a new audience. For a recent edited collection where I was invited to write a review of global regulation of human research ethics, the publishers as a matter of policy quite understandably challenged any article that relied on previously published work for more than ten per cent of its material. However, the editor had approached me looking for a synthesis of work that included, updated and condensed material that had already appeared in my single-authored book. I had raised the matter of overlapping text with him, and so he was able to persuade the publisher that a far larger fraction was warranted in this case. My book publisher also agreed.

I have not encountered much discussion of these matters in the published literature. But, I spend much of my time running professional development classes in research ethics. In these fora, I counsel researchers that when confronted by an ethical issue they ought to attempt to discern what might be an ethical response, act on that analysis and then publicly acknowledge and, where necessary, defend their actions.

There are several principles that might in some circumstances provide support for the argument that I have traced here. Of course, any strategy needs to be guided by the requirements of research integrity and so we should be citing and acknowledging any other work to which we refer appropriately and accurately eg. Researcher Responsibility 27,  Australian Code , 2018.

The Global Code of Conduct for Research in Resource-Poor Settings (TRUST Project, 2018 ) considers that fairness in research in low- and middle-income countries requires that:

Feedback about the findings of the research must be given to local communities and research participants. It should be provided in a way that is meaningful, appropriate and readily comprehended. (Article 3)

Similarly, the 2018  Australian Code  places responsibility on researchers to ‘Disseminate research findings responsibly, accurately and broadly…’ (Research Responsibility 23). Any strategy should also be tested in Australia against the principles adopted by the  National Statement  (2007, updated 2018). In this context, the most pertinent of these are integrity, which would require honesty and commitment to recognised research principles, and justice which would require a fair distribution of the benefits of research. None of these codes or guidelines explicitly considers repurposing existing text, nor do they focus their discussion of dissemination on academic publications. Nevertheless, they do require us to consider what dissemination strategy might be most appropriate and this may well involve adapting and translating material for academic publication in order to reach new audiences.

So, here is my advice for those who are considering re-using text that they have previously published:

• Assess whether your reasons are ethically defensible;
• Seek the agreement of those involved in your first publication – co-authors, editors and publishers; in some cases, publishers will want a specific form of acknowledgement;
• Seek the agreement of those involved in the new publication that will be reproducing material – any co-authors, editors and publishers;
• Clearly acknowledge in the new publication that you are drawing on the earlier publication and do so with the agreement of the various parties, and
• Where it would be misleading not to do so, also note the relationship between publications in your CV and any job or grant applications.

This blog post originally appeared on the Australasian Human Research Ethics Consultancy Services Blog and is reposted with the author’s permission. 

Note: This article gives the views of the authors, and not the position of the LSE Impact Blog, nor of the London School of Economics. Please review our  comments policy  if you have any concerns on posting a comment below.

Image credit: Luca Florio via Unsplash

About the author

Mark Israel is Adjunct Professor, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia, Australia Adjunct Professor of Law and Criminology, School of Law, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

perhaps it is a neologism, but one thing is clear. Self-plagiarism is nonsensical in that it is self contradictory because one cannot plagiarize ones own work. The norms that re-use breaks have nothing to do with plagiarism. They are the Inglefinger rule, which is surprisingly not mentioned in the article and copyright. The Inglefinger rule is against duplicate submission of the same article to many journals. Copyright comes into effect when you give away your rights to your own work and thus need permission to use your own work again. Those two seem to be capture the problem of academic re-use. Yes, you should cite prior work if you use it, yes, there are best practices in re-use, but it isn’t about plagiairism. Plagiarism is simply a form of fraud in which you claim someone else’s intellectual work as your own. Self-plagiarism can’t as such be possible.

I have 2 major areas of expertise. Every year I am requested to write chapters on these topics for new handbooks, annual reviews, etc. I can’t rewrite every single sentence in chapters covering the same topic. I have started recommending other authors if I don’t feel I have anything new to add to a chapter authored in the last year or two.

Sometimes, seeking the agreement of “all those involved” is not the ethical choice. Here’s an example: Study 1 is presented in article 1, co-signed by A, B and C. At the time, they all worked for the same university. Study 2 applies the measurement techniques of Study 1 on completely new data. The results contradict, or indicate that the validity of Study 1 is limited, after all. Study 2 is presented in a new Article 2, by researcher B. Researcher B, who works in a different university by now, presents comparisons of the Study 2 data with the Study 1 data (citing Article 1, of course). Researchers A and C have a vested interest in not allowing researcher B to reproduce the material of Study 1, because they still want to claim that their Study 1 was ground-breaking. Author C accuses author B of self-plagiarism, for having “re-used” the description of the methodology and having presented the results of the dataset of Study 1. Let us now ponder: What course of action is in the interest of science? Putting out this information for everyone to judge, or muddying the waters with accusations of “self-plagiarism”? “Seeking the agreement of all those involved” works when all those involved are honest scientists, with no other agenda than the pure pursuit of knowledge. Unfortunately, nowadays in academia, this is rarely the case.

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I found this article really helpful. I’m at the stage in my career where I am writing a lot of review chapters on the same exact topic (aging consumers). They are for different outlets but same language. I find myself just rephrasing a lot of sentences but am fundamentally saying the same thing (working memory declines). I like the idea of having a focus, so one chapter is more pessimistic whereas another takes a more neutral tone. I also cite all my previous review chapters so I’m being as transparent as possible.

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What is the Impact of Self-Plagiarism for Researchers?

Let’s Discuss the 2019 COPE Study

One way to understand the breadth of your impact is how often and where your work is cited, measured by Impact Factor.

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When it comes to outright stealing someone else’s words with the intention of representing them as your own, plagiarism is very well known. Too many of us are familiar with that archetypal image of literally copying and pasting someone else’s words with the aim of taking credit for something someone else has written. There have been movies made about this. There have been scandals . And damaged reputations from which a comeback is daunting .

And with that singular egregious image of one kind of academic misconduct in mind, it’s easy to disregard self-plagiarism and citation errors as plagiarism, too. If you’re re-using your own words, for instance--is it considered stealing? And why would citation errors matter if your research is original?

If you’re a researcher with the goal of publishing and making an impact on the research landscape, self-plagiarism and citation errors matter.

Let’s take a deeper look.

Self-plagiarism--or re-using your own words and representing them as new--is a form of dishonesty, and yes, it is considered an act of plagiarism.

It’s easy to overlook self-plagiarism because when the researcher is the author, they make the argument that they can reuse the words that they themselves created and thus, it is not theft. But self-plagiarism is still a form of academic dishonesty. Furthermore, self-plagiarism can infringe upon a publisher’s copyright.

Consider students, too--who may think that recycling their own work isn’t plagiarism-- when it very much is . They may reuse a paper for a prior class in another class for assessment. Or copy and paste sections from previously submitted work into a new assignment. When researchers copy their own work and represent it as new work, it, too, is self-plagiarism.

Researcher self-plagiarism presents in the following ways:

• Using previous research content (text recycling)
• Reusing research for multiple and similar submissions (redundant publication)
• Partitioning one study into multiple publications (“salami-slicing”)
• Submitting work for publication with previously published content without citation (augmented publication)
• Copyright infringement

All are acts of academic misconduct and plagiarism, ones that can stain your reputation.

Self-plagiarism, according to a 2019 COPE study on publication ethic s, is one of the biggest concerns of publishers. Of 656 academic journal editors surveyed, “Half of the respondents had encountered self-plagiarism with 22% saying it arose frequently.” COPE adds that self-plagiarism will, according to editors, be one of the top publishing ethics issues in the next five years : “The current output-driven academic culture is expected to increase pressure to publish and exacerbate issues such as self-plagiarism and predatory publishing” ( 2019, p. 4 ).

Editorial concern regarding self-plagiarism is not without merit. In their editorial on self-plagiarism for Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, Arumugan states that “ self-plagiarism is more common than thought, as demonstrated by the results of recent studies ” ( 2016, p. 427 ).

Bretag and Carapiet investigated instances of self-plagiarism in research and concluded, “This exploratory investigation has found that self-plagiarism is a common practice in academic research, with over 60% of authors in the sample having reused text from a previous publication without appropriate citation” ( 2007, p. 9 ).

Self-plagiarism can block your publication or subject your publication to retraction --both of which directly affect your reputation. Researchers with retractions may have challenges with future research as well as publication and see a decline of 10-20% in citation rates ( Mika, 2017 ).

Furthermore, not only is self-plagiarism an ethical issue but it may violate copyright with another journal, which has its own legal consequences.

In sum: self-plagiarism is on the radar of editors at journals everywhere. So researchers must stay vigilant about ensuring that their articles are original. Even if it’s your own work, you cannot reuse it if you are representing it as original work.

How can a researcher avoid self-plagiarism? Ensure every part of your paper is original. And if you are creating new ideas based on your prior research, make sure to correctly cite your previous work.

This, of course, brings us to a related topic: the matter of citation errors.

Citation errors are also an ethics challenge that editors encounter with frequency. While citation errors can be a result of forgetfulness, it’s important to ensure that all outside research is attributed and cited, correctly.

According to the previously referenced 2019 COPE study on publication ethics, “58% of the surveyed editors encountered issues with detecting plagiarism and poor attribution standards” ( p. 4 ). Additionally, editors think that attribution issues are expected to increase in the next five years ( p. 4 ).

Researchers have much to lose when it comes to faltering in academic integrity, even with something as seemingly innocuous as citation errors.

A history of citation errors can keep a researcher from being published . Onwuegbuzie, Freis, and Slate “reported a statistically significant and practically significant (i.e., moderate) relationship between the number of citation errors and the decision made by the coeditors of the journals, with authors who made more than three citation errors being approximately four times more likely (odds ratio = 4.01; 95% confidence interval = 1.22, 13.17) to have their manuscripts rejected than were authors who made three or less [sic] citation errors” ( 2010, p. iii ).

On the flip side, Onwuegbuzie, Freis, et al. found “manuscripts that were accepted contained statistically significantly and practically significantly fewer citation errors than did manuscripts that were not accepted” ( 2010, p. xv ).

All of these missteps can haunt a researcher’s work and publication record. All of these missteps, too, stain a publication’ s reputation. And in the pursuit of making a profound change in research--these are the last things researchers and publications need.

While publishing has many success factors, one thing that won’t ever change is the bedrock of academic integrity underscoring reputation. The stakes of academic reputation are high, rightfully so, as it’s a hard-earned achievement. Let’s help preserve it by upholding academic integrity.

Yet Another Harvard Plagiarism Scandal

In a refrain that has become all too familiar, another Harvard University faculty member is facing allegations of plagiarism, this time in an expert witness document that they filed in a major court case.

According to an article by Veronica H. Paulus and Akshaya Ravi at the Harvard Crimson , Dipak Panigrahy is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a cancer researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is also an expert witness and is serving on a case involving Lockheed Martin and allegations that the company released toxic chemicals, causing cancer and other issues among residents.

However, on March 18, a district court judge granted Lockheed Martin’s motion to exclude Panigrahy’s 500-page report from the case. The judge cited plagiarism as the reason.

According to the judge, Panigrahy’s report was “a mess” and contained sections copied verbatim from various publications by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Though Panigrahy repeatedly cited the IARC in his report, he did not indicate that the text involved was quoted.

The judge also said, “His deposition made the plagiarism appear deliberate, as he repeatedly outright refused to acknowledge the long swaths of his report that quote other work verbatim without any quotation marks at all…” He then said that the “rampant plagiarism” means that the “general causation methodology as a whole is too unreliable to put before a jury.”

Panigrahy, in a statement to The Crimson, said, “I cited to all of the underlying articles and reports that I was accused of plagiarizing, and made clear that I was relying on these sources as part of my analysis.”

Panigrahy also said that he expects the judge’s order to be overturned.

The story is just the latest in a series of plagiarism scandals to hit Harvard. They began in December with allegations that then-President Claudine Gay had plagiarized various papers in her career . This was followed by a series of other plagiarism allegations targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officials at the school.

Finally, last week, embattled Harvard professor Francesca Gino, who is already on administrative leave over allegations of data manipulation, was accused of plagiarism in her two books .

It’s another academic/research integrity blow to the university. However, it’s also a unique one that is worth a closer examination.

A Bizarre Tale

Disclosure: I regularly work as an expert witness , though not in this field (I work in copyright and plagiarism matters). I am not involved in this particular case and have not been able to review the allegations against Panigrahy independently.

Two things make this case unusual: The venue where it took place and Panigrahy’s defense.

On the first note, the case is not a regular example of research plagiarism. Though an expert witness report certainly is a work of science, it’s not a traditional journal publication or other research paper.

In that regard, it’s likely most similar to the alleged plagiarism in Gino’s books. Though not formal research publications, her books are works of science that are intended to convey the work Gino did to an audience.

This change in venue means that there are different standards for citation and attribution . For example, a research paper in a journal has a different standard than a legal filing, which differs from a non-fiction book, which differs from an email. Many authors struggle with citation when switching from one kind of work to another because of these issues.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case here.

The plagiarism, as described, would likely violate just about any citation standard. According to the judge, Panigrahy copied large swaths of text verbatim and failed to indicate that the text was quoted.

Both the judge and Panigrahy seem to agree that the IARC was repeatedly cited in the report. However, the judge says that Panigrahy didn’t just use the information but copied large amounts of text without indicating that it was a quote. Panigrahy, in his response to The Crimson, doesn’t seem to dispute this, only say that he did cite the sources.

That, in turn, is the problem. When you use content verbatim from an outside source, you must cite two things: the ideas/information and the words. Those are two separate but connected acts of citation.

If you properly paraphrase the content , you don’t need to cite the words but still have to cite the information. However, it doesn’t appear that Panigrahy paraphrased at least some of the text and copied and pasted chunks of it instead.

Failure to indicate that text is quoted is plagiarism. That is true both in research papers and expert witness reports. Though this may be a genuine misunderstanding on Panigrahy’s part, there’s not much doubt that copying and pasting large amounts of text without quotation marks does amount to plagiarism in this context.

With that in mind, the judge did the right thing. Even if the information in the report is valid, the citation issues cast too dark a shadow on it. Though the IARC is a fine source to cite, and the findings may still be correct, allowing it to be presented to the jury would not be appropriate.

Simply put, while the citation standards and norms differ, expert witnesses are held to a very high standard regarding their reports. Based on what the judge has said, it doesn’t appear this report met that standard.

Another Plagiarism Blow

In a vacuum, This story is interesting because cases involving plagiarism in an expert witness report are rare. However, as The Crimson pointed out, this case didn’t happen in a vacuum.

This story comes after a string of plagiarism controversies involving Harvard faculty. Though this one is not getting the level of attention of the earlier ones, it’s another case that connects Harvard and plagiarism.

The school has been put through the wringer regarding plagiarism allegations. Applications are down, and the recent controversies have likely played some role . Though I have no doubt the school will be fine in the long run, it needs to rebuild its image and not deal with another plagiarism controversy.

However, there’s not much that Harvard, or any university, could have done here. This was an expert witness report outside of Panigrahy’s duties at the school. Harvard has no authority over this project. The only connection it has to the school is that Panigrahy is also a faculty member.

However, the story speaks to a reality for schools. They can and will be judged for integrity issues they had nothing to do with simply because the person involved is a faculty or staff member.

It isn’t fair, but schools must be prepared to address it and draft policies around it where possible. While schools can’t necessarily control what their employees do with their personal time, they can control how they respond to stories like this one.

It may be best for Harvard to say and do nothing in this case, especially since it has received little attention outside of the school itself. But, if something larger does come up, how the school responds could be as important as the story itself.

Bottom Line

As I’ve read and thought about this story, one question comes to mind: How did the lawyer Panigrahy was working with allow this?

Based on statements by the judge and the defense, the issue appears to have been pretty clear, and even a quick check of the work would have detected the issues. That would have allowed those issues to be corrected before submitting them, preventing this conflict entirely.

Even if the judge eventually changes his ruling, it’s a headache that could have been avoided.

That said, in my experience, lawyers aren’t in the habit of proactively checking expert witness reports for plagiarism. However, maybe they should be, especially if such checks become more common by opposing counsel.

This is a costly mistake in a high-profile case like this one, regardless if the report is readmitted later. A proactive stance could have saved significant time and resources.

In the end, this is not just another blow to Harvard but a possible change to the way expert witness reports are handled. Targeting reports for plagiarism is a relatively simple step that counsel can take and, if successful, can negate powerful and costly evidence.

Lawyers may need to consider whether they will examine opposing reports for plagiarism or check their own before submission. While not a new tactic in this space, it may see a resurgence after the success here.

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• Writing Tips

Can You Copy Yourself? Self-Plagiarism and How to Avoid It

4-minute read

• 27th December 2019

Plagiarism – copying someone else’s work or words without crediting them – is bad. We know this. It’s dishonest. It’s unfair. And it can lose you marks on your university work . But what about self-plagiarism? Is this a problem? And how can you ‘copy’ yourself anyway? Let’s take a look.

What Is Self-Plagiarism?

At its most basic, ‘self-plagiarism’ means using the same work in two places. Often, it also means presenting old work as if it were new.

For instance, imagine a journalist submitted two versions of the same piece to separate publications. They could change the title and rearrange things slightly to make it less obvious, but the overall content is very similar. This is known as duplicate publication and breaks rules against self-plagiarism.

We can imagine something similar happening with a student’s university work. Say, for example, you were writing your dissertation on a topic you’d already touched on in a previous essay. You might be tempted to copy that part of the essay and reuse it in your dissertation. But if you did this, you could be accused of submitting the same work twice, which is self-plagiarism.

The key in both cases is that a writer is presenting old work as if it were new. You may not mean to deceive anyone. But unless you acknowledge that you’re using the same material in two places, it could be interpreted as self-plagiarism. And this could lose you marks on your work.

Is It a Problem?

Short answer: Yes! Most universities have rules against self-plagiarism. And if you’re found to have submitted the same work twice, you may lose out on valuable marks. In addition, anti-plagiarism tools like Turnitin ‘remember’ everything they scan. As a result, if you submit a paper that reuses part or parts of an old essay, it could get flagged as plagiarism by a computer.

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For published writing, the issue also strays into copyright. For instance, if you have already published the results of an experiment in one journal but you try to submit a similar paper to another journal, you may be violating the copyright of the first journal (even though it is your own work).

And if a journal or publisher spots self-plagiarism, it will at best delay publication. As such, you should never deliberately reuse material without checking whether you are allowed to do so first.

How to Avoid Self-Plagiarism

It is easy enough to avoid self-plagiarism if you follow a few simple rules:

• Check your university’s website for guidance on self-plagiarism. You can also check your style guide for advice on citing previous work.
• Never copy and paste text from a previous essay into a new one. If you need to go over the same ideas, find a new way to express them.
• If you reuse ideas from a previous essay, acknowledge them (e.g. add a footnote ‘citing’ your previous essay, even if it is not a formal citation).
• Ask your supervisor or course tutor if you are unsure regarding whether you can reuse something from a previous essay.
• If you want to publish part of your dissertation or thesis, make sure both your university and the journal you are submitting you will allow this.
• If you have published research somewhere, check who owns the copyright before submitting a similar paper elsewhere. And if you do refer to work you’ve published elsewhere, make sure to cite it clearly.

And if you are working on an essay, don’t forget to have it proofread . Our expert editors can even check that your referencing is clear and consistent, helping you to avoid any accusations of plagiarism.

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